I have recently stepped down from one of the longest commitments of my life – almost two decades volunteering for a social group. I started by organising the events at one venue in London, and then when the founder stepped down, volunteered to take over the whole group.
That’s involved managing volunteers in over fifty cities, dealing with membership, software, planning, and lots more.
Over that time, I think it’s fair to say I’ve learned a lot, made some mistakes, and achieved a fair bit. And in this post, I thought I’d offer some thoughts for people thinking of volunteering for their community.
I won’t pretend these are definitive, or even that I’ve got all this right myself – some I certainly haven’t – but I do think that they are useful things to bear in mind if you’re thinking of getting involved as a volunteer with any sort of group or community.
Take that leap
First, don’t be afraid. Most groups and organisations can always use help with something, from running a coatcheck, to graphic design, meeting and greeting, or just putting out the chair. And, by and large, volunteering is a great way to get more involved, to meet people, and to make connections, at whatever level. Not sure what’s needed? If there’s a group or organisation you’re interested in, drop them a line, explain what you’re good at, and how you think you might be able to help.
Or really take a leap of faith, and start something yourself. Some of the best groups and events I know have started just from two people meeting in a café and seeing where things go.
Beware of mission creep
Depending on what you’re doing, this can be a problem. At its simplest, if you’re good, and efficient, you may find people asking you to take on more. And if, like me, you sometimes find it hard to say no, you can quickly find yourself with too much to do. So learn when to say no.
As you get more involved in higher level things, you may also find that mission creep starts to become a bigger issue. It might be internal – someone else steps down, and you have to assume their role as well – or external, like new laws that mean now you have to document risk assessments of your website, or implement safeguarding protocols, and so on.
Sometimes, you have to suck this up; other times, you have to say “No, I can’t do this,” and persuade people that some tasks mean co-opting more volunteers, or finding – and maybe paying for – external help.
Don’t just allow your role to grow willy-nilly. You’ll end up burnt out and exhausted.
Grow a thick skin
You’ll need it. Even at the lowest level of volunteering, you’re likely to come across people who take you for granted, or who will decide that since you’re the person in front of them, you should answer for every failing of an organisation – even if you just run the coat check.
The more involved in decision making you are, the more you’ll get this. People will half-understand things, and accuse you of doing things you haven’t done. Some will make personal attacks for reasons you can’t fathom. Some will criticise decisions you make.
You have to live with this; that’s definitely easier to say than to do; one ridiculous post from someone who seems intent on tearing your work apart will stick in your mind far more than the half dozen supportive ones.
Find your rock
Related to the above, you need a support network. We all do, in one way or another. And having someone you can vent your feelings to after a frustrating experience is important, rather than just bottling things up and finally exploding at the wrong person over something that, ultimately, isn’t their fault.
You may need to seek wise counsel – choose them carefully – to thrash out ideas and decision. You may also need something more; don’t underestimate the value of someone who’ll be there during a sleepless night to tell you that it will turn out ok.
Don’t give up the day job
This is one where I put my hands up and admit failure; I have effectively done this in a group I volunteered for, replacing a real job with coding their website and apps for a something that wasn’t even minimum wage. I really wouldn’t recommend it, both financially and from the point of view of having a break.
It’s very important, I think, to maintain other interests outside of what you’re volunteering for. It can feel great, putting things back into a community, but I really do think that you should consider very carefully if you want to do something that is going to amount to a full time job.
It’s sometimes said that if you do something you love, you’ll never have to work a day again. However, it’s also true that sometimes, too much of one thing can turn it from a love into a chore.
Have an exit plan
If you run for an elected office of a club or organisation, you know when it’s going to be over. And you can run for something else, or step back depending on your wishes, and generally everyone will be fine with that.
Volunteering can often be open-ended, and I’d suggest that if you’re serious, you think of your exit plan. Will you do this for two years and then think again? Or will you commit to five years helping an organisation plan, to give it stability?
How will you hand over? To whom? How will they be chosen?
Some of this comes back to mission creep; in the group I ran, things became far more complex by 2025 than they had been in 2009. For instance, new laws about the internet added extra burdens and costs; more members meant more time supporting them, and so on. The job became too big for one person. Finally, an unexpected cardiac event in 2025 prompted a decision to step down.
You’ll be doing yourself, and the people for whom you volunteer, a great favour if you have an exit plan, or at least an idea of how long you want to commit, rather than running on fumes or, in the worst case, leaving others to pick up the pieces with little or no help.
